Feminist foreign policy

Equality between women and men is a fundamental aim of Swedish foreign policy. Ensuring that women and girls can enjoy their fundamental human rights is both an obligation within the framework of our international commitments, and a prerequisite for reaching Sweden’s broader foreign policy goals on peace, and security and sustainable development.

Feminist foreign policy

Margot WallströmRegeringskansliet/Ninni Andersson

Handbook on feminist foreign policy launched

Sweden is the first country in the world to formulate and pursue a feminist foreign policy, and this handbook is the first of its kind. The handbook includes methods and experiences, and is intended as a resource in international work for gender equality and all women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of human rights.

Sweden hosted Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality

The Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality on 15–17 April brought together over 500 participants from more than 100 countries, from grassroots to ministerial level. They included politicians and representatives of academia, business and civil society. The purpose of the Forum was to advance work on global gender equality through alliance-building and exchange of methods and results.

The Government’s Statement of Foreign Policy 2019

"An important part of our democracy drive is to continue our efforts to ensure that women enjoy the same rights, resources and representation as men. The Government will continue to pursue a feminist foreign policy – wholeheartedly, throughout the world."

This action plan sets the direction of feminist foreign policy action to be taken by the Foreign Service, guided by six long-term objectives. These are broad objectives to match broad challenges, cover the entire global agenda and bring the whole gamut of foreign policy tools into play.

Women’s participation helps ensure that peace is more sustainable

Fifteen years ago, 31 October 2000, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. But far too often, women are still excluded, which poses a threat to peace and security and sustainable development in several parts of the world. Sweden is therefore working actively to promote the agenda for women, peace and security.

SEK 1 billion to Government’s first global gender equality strategy

Funds totalling SEK 1 billion will be used to enhance gender equality for women and girls around the world. This was decided by the Government at its meeting on 12 April. It is the first time that Sweden’s Government has adopted a global thematic strategy for gender equality.

Related:

A Feminist Government

Sweden has the first feminist government in the world. This means that gender equality is central to the Government’s priorities – in decision-making and resource allocation. A feminist government ensures that a gender equality perspective is brought into policy-making on a broad front, both nationally and internationally. Women and men must have the same power to shape society and their own lives. This is a human right and a matter of democracy and justice.
Gender equality is also part of the solution to society’s challenges and a matter of course in a modern welfare state – for justice and economic development. The Government’s most important tool for implementing feminist policy is gender mainstreaming, of which gender-responsive budgeting is an important component.

Swedish Foreign Policy News

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Joint statement from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in France and from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Sweden

Today - on the International Women's Day - the Government of France and the Government of Sweden are proud to announce our joint decision to develop a common strategy for combating human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Europe and globally.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström to take part in women foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada

On 21–22 September, Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström will take part in the Women Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Montreal, Canada. The meeting will be co-led by Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. Ms Wallström will also take part in a working breakfast with civil society representatives.

Handbook Sweden’s feminist foreign policy

In October 2014, Sweden became the first country in the world to launch a feminist foreign policy. This means applying a systematic gender equality perspective throughout the whole foreign policy agenda. This handbook should be a resource for international work relating to gender equality and all women’s and girls’ full enjoyment of human rights. It contains a selection of methods and experiences that can provide examples and inspira¬tion for further work of the Swedish Foreign Service, other parts of the civil service and society as a whole. The handbook also describes the first four years of working with a feminist foreign policy. Thereby, it responds to the considerable national and international interest in this policy.

Statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström at the UN Security Council Briefing on Peace and Security in Africa

National statement delivered by Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallström on behalf of Sweden at the United Nations Security Council Briefing on Peace and Security in Africa, 10 July 2018, New York.

Safer world for women and girls in focus at European Development Days

The European Development Days is a development forum that the European Commission has organised since 2006. This year’s theme was gender equality under the thread ‘Women and Girls at the Forefront of Sustainable Development’.

Joining forces to strengthen global gender equality efforts

More than 700 gender equality advocates from more than 100 countries gathered at the Stockholm Forum on Gender Equality to exchange experiences and mobilise efforts for global gender equality. The participants included key figures from civil society organisations, business, academia and politics. They all have the same goal: a gender-equal world.